Baby taken from murdered mother’s womb opens eyes for the first time

Friend of family of Marlen Ochoa-Lopez release picture of her baby in NICU being held by his
father. (Photo: |Cecilia Garcia)

(CNN) — Inside a Chicago-area hospital, a baby fights for his life. The infant is in intensive care and listed in grave condition after he was cut from his mother’s womb in an attack on her last month. But this little one has a fighting spirit, and a picture has emerged of him with his father.

In the photo, taken Sunday by a student pastor, the baby is being held by his father Yovany Lopez. The infant is attached to various tubes and appears to be asleep in his father’s arms. Around the time the photo was taken, the baby opened his eyes.

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“We were just praying and praying and he opened his eyes, and his dad said, “Oh my God, he opened his eyes!'” Cecilia Garcia, a student pastor who is assisting the family, told CNN.

“We’ve been blessed, although this is a really bad tragedy, they’re such a loving and humble family and it’s just so wrong what happened to them.”

Garcia said she was horrified when she first heard about the slaying of Marlen Ochoa-Lopez, Yovany Lopez’s pregnant 19-year-old wife.

She was killed last month after she was lured to a Chicago woman’s home on an offer of free baby clothes.

Police say Ochoa-Lopez was strangled and her unborn baby was cut out of her. Her body was found in the garbage can in the backyard of the home. Police arrested and charged three people in the ghastly killing.